Vapor electric translating device.



9 a, I g i E P. G. HEWITT.

VAPOR ELECTRIC TRANSLATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAILIQ 1903.

1, 1 21 ,358, Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

P. G. HEWITT.

VAPOR ELECTRIC TRANSLATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19. 1903.

1,121,358, Patented D630. 15, 1914.

Z BHBHTSSHBET 2.

INVENTOR BY May 7$ ATT HEY MUTNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE...

PETER COOPER HEWITT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO'COOPER HEWITT ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORA- TION OF NEW JERSEY.

VAPOR ELECTRIC TBANSLATING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

Application filed March 19, 1903.. Serial No. 148,505.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER Coornn Hnwrr'r, a citizen of the United States, -and'res1- dent of New York, county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vapor Electric Translating Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of electric apparatus in which electric currents are transmitted through a conducting gas or vapor from one electrode to another and has for its object more convenient utilization for various special purposes and under varying special conditions.

The general plan of the invention is to employ a divided gas or vapor path, each path being provided with appropriate electrodes for causing current to pass through that path. Means may also be provided for causing the respective paths to consume different amounts of electrical energy.

The accompanying drawing illustrates in Figures 1 and 2 convenient devices for practising my invention, and Fig. 3 a special modification.

Referring to the drawing, 1 and 2 represent two branches of the inclosing chamber of a translating device designed to contain a suitable conducting gas or vapor, such, for instance, as mercury vapor. These branches are shown as being united near one end at 3 to a common neck or tube 4: in the extremity of which is located an electrode 5. Near the remote ends of these branches are located electrodes 6 and 7, respectively. The electrode 5 may consist of a small quantity of mercury or other suitable material. The electrodes 6 and 7 are here shown as consisting of some solid material, such, for instance, as iron, although other materials may be employed. In the drawings I have shown the upper ends of the branches 1 and 2 as being connected by a narrow tube 8 although this connection may in some cases be omitted.

In Fig. 3, 13 and 14; are inductances, 6 and 7, are the anodes of a gas or vapor electric device 3, while 11 and 12 are switches adapted to be separately opened to suppress the flow of current to one or both of the anodes 6 and 7. I have found that by putting such a device as this in an electric circuit and applymg the proper difierence of potentlal to the terminals 6 and 5 and 7 and 5, respectively, currents may be caused to traverse the vapor columns contained in the vacuum of the chamber independently of each other and that the potential of either branch may be varied independently of that of. the other. For this purpose I may employ branch conductors leading to the respective electrodes 6 and 7, the respective branches containing adjustable resistances or inductance devices, 9 and 10, respectively. Another mode of securing different effects in the several branches, whenever such ef-' fects are desired, would be that of giving to the branches different diameters, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The employment of resistances or inductance devices might be combined with a structure in which some of the branches were of different diameter from the others. The apparatus is useful in cases where it may be desired to sub-divide the light emitted when the device is used as an electric lamp, for instance, as well as to vary the relative amounts of light yielded by the respective branches. It also affords a convenient method of demonstrating some of the laws of operation governing the flow of electricity through gases and vapors. It is also useful in connection with other forms of translating devices than lamps where for diiferent reasons a sub-division of the electric current is useful and the peculiar features of vapor or gas resistance are desirable. The different branches may be located at any desired distance from each other. It may for instance in some cases be desirable to employ a common negative electrode for sources of light which appear to be independent in which case the electrodes at the remote ends of the branches would be the positive electrodes and the electrode 5 would be a negative electrode common to the other two.

Since one positive electrode may be substituted for another, the two positive electrode lamps thus embodied in a single structure are useful for signaling or attracting attention, say by street signs or the like, by

electrode and alternating the connections or combining them in any desired order.

While the invention has been described more particularly in connection with a device for two branches, it will be evident that the number of branches may be increased to any desired extent. -Espec1ally would such modification be found useful in roducing Various artistic and ornamental e ects.

Although the two branches illustrated in the drawing are parallel to each other, yet

- ing these tubes applicant uses the ordinary direct current supply systems at from 100 to 200 volts, the tube being started by an instantaneous wave of high potential, generated by a Wehnelt interrupter or any convenient appliance. Although in-starting up a higher voltage than normal is sometimes used to start the discharge through the tube, the tubes can be put in operation without having recourse to high starting voltages.

The devices of the present invention possess the quality of ne ative electrode or initial reluctance to the ow of current.

I claim as my invention:

1. An electric translating device consisting of an inclosing chamber containing a conducting gas or vapor, said chamber being divided to afford multiple gas or vapor paths, one electrode in each division of the chamber and an electrode common to all of the divisions, the respective divisions of the chamber being of diflerent diameters.

2. In an electric translating device the combination of two positive electrodes, negative electrode vapor paths connecting the respective positive electrodes with the negative electrode, said paths being partly in common with each-other, means for supplying electric current simultaneously to both positive electrodes, and means for regulating the difference of potential between the respective positive electrodes and the negative electrode.

3. A gas or vapor electric translating device, in the form of an endless chamber, and

electrodes mounted therein at various points along its length.

4:. An electrical translating device consisting 'of an inclosing chamber divided throughout a portion of its length, a positive electrode in each of the divisions, a negative electrode common to both positive electrodes, means for supplying electric currents to the two positive electrodes, and means for interrupting either circuit independently of the other.

5. In a gas or vapor electric apparatus, the combination of an inclosing chamber having tubular extensions, an electrode in the chamber and like functioning electrodes located in the respective extensions, and means for introducing self-inductive effects in the circuits of the like functionating electrodes.

6. In combination with a vapor electric apparatus, comprising a suitable container, a cathode and a plurality of anodes therein,

of an inductance in the lead of each anode.

7. A vapor electric device comprising a suitable container with a pocket at the lowest point therein, a vaporizable reconstructing cathode therein, and a plurality of separated solid anodes located above said cathode and symmetrically disposed in regard thereto. 7

8. A vapor electric apparatus comprising a container having tubular extensions, a vaporizable reconstructing cathode in the chamber, and like functionating electrodes located in the extensions.

9. A vapor electric apparatus comprising a suitable container, a vaporizable reconstructing cathode therein, two anodes also therein, and a' dual path from the anodes .to the cathode. v

10. The combination with a gas or vapor electricapparatus comprising a suitable container upwardly extending tubular extensions, a pocket located at the lowest point of said container, and a solid anode at the end of each of the tubular extensions, and a vaporizable reconstructing cathode in the said pocket, of an inductance in the lead of each anode adapted to maintain theoperation of current flow at periods of momentary supply deficiency.

11. A gas or vapor electric apparatus,

vaporizable cathode at an intermediate point.

14. In a vapor electric apparatus, the combination with an exhausted container and a vaporizable reconstructing cathode therein, of a plurality of anodes also therein, each located in a chamber opening out of the path traversed by the vaporizable material passing to or from the cathode.

15. In a vapor electric apparatus, the combination with an exhausted container and a vaporizable reconstructing cathode therein, of a main chamber for said cathode and a plurality of separate chambers, each inclosing an anode.

16. In a vapor apparatus the combination with an exhausted receptacle and a vaporizable reconstructing liquid cathode and a plurality of anodes therein, of an insulating chamber surrounding each anode, each chamber being provided with an opening in a plane substantially at right angles to the plane of the surface of the cathode.

17. In a vapor electric apparatus, the combination with an exhausted container and a vaporizable reconstructing cathode and a plurality of anodes therein, of chambers for the anodes, the opening into each chamber being in a position at an angle to the direction of the vapor path from the cathode.

18. In a vapor electric apparatus, the combination of an exhausted container and a vaporizable reconstructing cathode and a plurality of anodes therein, of means for preserving the anodes from contact with projected particles of material given ofi from said cathode.

19. In a vapor electric apparatus, the combination with an exhausted container and a vaporizable reconstructing cathode and a plurality of anodes therein, each of said anodes being located in a chamber opening into the main body of said container.

20. The combination of an exhausted container and a vaporizable reconstructing cathode therein, with a plurality of solid anodes, at least one of said anodes being shielded from the effects of the operation of the cathode.

21. The combination of an exhausted container and a vaporizable reconstructing cathode therein, with a plurality of solid anodes, at least one of said anodes being shielded from the cathode.

22. The combination of an exhausted container and a vaporizable reconstructing cathode therein, with a plurality of solid anodes, at least one of said anodes being substantially shielded from the cathode and the vapor path to any other anode.

23. In a vapor electric apparatus, the combination with an exhausted container, and a vaporizable reconstructing cathode therein, of a plurality of anodes also therein, each anode being shielded to prevent vaporizable particles from contacting with the anodes.

24. In a vapor electric apparatus, the

combination with anexhausted container. and a vaporizable reconstructing cathode and a plurality of anodes therein, of extensions of said envelop or receptacle opening into the main body thereof at an angle to each other and to a direct line between the said extensions and the cathode and anodes located in each of said extensions.

25. In a vapor electric apparatus, the

combination with an exhausted container and a vaporizable reconstructing cathode V and a plurality of anodes therein, of extensions of said container, each inclosing an anode and symmetrically located on opposite sides of the cathode.

26. In a vapor electric apparatus, the combination with an exhausted container and a vaporizable reconstructing cathode and a plurality of anodes therein, of a pair of symmetrically placed opposing external extensions of said container, each extension inolosing an anode so located as to be substantially shielded from the cathode and the vapor path to the other anode.

27. In a vapor electric apparatus, the combination with an exhausted container and a vaporizable reconstructing cathode and a plurality of anodes therein, of tubul-ar extensions of said container having lengths great relatively to their diameters, each extension inclosing an electrode near its extremity.

28. A vacuum apparatus including an ex-' hausted container, a vaporizable reconstructing liquid cathode therefor located in a suitable pocket at the bottom of said container and a plurality of upwardly extending branching tubular -chambers in said container, each chamber inclosing a solid anode.

29. A vacuum apparatus including an exhausted container, a vaporizable reconstructing liquor cathode therefor located in a suitable pocket at the bottom of said container and a plurality of upwardly extending branching tubular chambers in said container, each chamber inclosing a solid anode located at the remote end thereof.

30. A vapor apparatus comprising an exhausted container, having a bulbular portion and relatively long tubular extensions extending sidewise and upwardly on opposite sides of said bulbular portion and a vaporizable reconstructing cathode at the bottom of said bulbular portion, together with solid anodes located at the extreme ends of the said tubular portions.

31. In a vapor electric apparatus, the combination of an exhausted envelop having a plurality of tubular extensions each closed at its upper end, an anode in each extension, and a cooperating vaporizable cathode.

envelop provided at its lower portion with New York, and State of New York, this a vaporizable electrode, and having a, plu- 17th day of March, A. D. 1903.

rality of extensions each closed at one end solid electrodes located respectively in said PETER COOPER HEWIT'I' 5 extensions above the level of said vapor- Witnesses:

izable electrode. WM. H. CAPEL,

Signed at New York, in the county of 7 GEORGE H. STOCKBRIDGE. 

